Thread: Can Lucid dreaming really change your personality?

Wrong, don't believe it. The only thing that happens to me when I wake up from a LD is that sometimes I wake up in a sweat (if the dream was exciting and room was warm), and I'm really happy/excited, but also very disappointed that it ended. I don't see any way how having a dream where you are consciously awake can have any lasting effects on your personality. When your dreaming your subconscious mind is awake, conscious mind is asleep. When you are awake, conscious mind is up and you go about your business, and subconscious sorta kicks into autopilot (helps you do things like breathing, walking etc.) When you are lucid dreaming, both subconscious and conscious are aware and active at the same time, which just equals more brain awareness, which can only lead to good things, and again I fail to see how heightened awareness can negatively impact your personality.

As far as I can tell, lucid dreaming shapes your personality as much as being awake does. The things we do and experience shape us somewhat, but I see no difference between being conscious in a lucid dream and being conscious while awake. Except for the fact that you can be virtually omnipotent in a lucid dream, of course. That could conceivably give some people a big head, but other than that I don't see much harm.

I think the worst that could happen is a LD could show you a part of yourself that you might not like or be ready to see. For the most part though, I would say that LDing is more of a freeing experience and does not have negative side effects.

Lucid dreaming has benefitted me more than anything I can think of, especially this forum in conjuction with it. I started lucid dreaming when iwas about 14 (17 now) and all I can say is that it really started to make/let me grow up in a way. I used to be very indecisive, quiet, and passive-aggressive. Now, I have gained quite a bit of wisdom (a lot from this forum, incredible community ), become more social with friends and family, and just a more affable person in general. As my amer. history teacher says, "reading and exposure to other intellectuals is the best way to improve yourself," and it can't be more true.

I'm a realist in a way, in the sense that not everything is sunhine and rainbows, but also an idealist in believeing that anything is possible. For the vast majority of the good that has come about to myself as a person i attribute almost all of it to this community and "hobby," i guess would be the best way to put.

tl;dr: Lucid dreaming is incredible for you and you can only benefit from it. Anything else is likely false.

Everybody's mind is different. It may be to use for others because they are more "realistic". It may not be of use to others because their dreams aren't as real.

Originally Posted by Loaf

And while your at it, why not share your reasons for why astral projection to Mars is real and I can how share dream with the queen every night through simply meditation. Those are other hole ridden ideas that people have no basis for believing in but do.

I decided to quote this first, because if this is indicative of the type of logic you're using, then it really isn't even worth my defense. This is an obvious strawman. It's actually kind of insulting. That you imply my theory (which apparently 'has no basis for belief', simply because you say it doesn't) is analogous to people believing astral travel and dream sharing is real (concepts which are completely unrelated to the discussion, and not even hinted at by anything in my post) makes your argument look weaker than anything said so far.

Originally Posted by Loaf

The question I was discussing was whether or not social interaction in dreams can allow for social growth or for the dreamer to deal with social situations better in reality. The answer is no.

You mean your assumption is 'No.' It is a theory that your are putting forth. It is an assertion that you are responsible for providing evidence for, or it is meaningless. You should probably stop stating such an assumption as if it is fact, lest you come off as hypocritical. It's also important to notice that I have not once made the declaration that dreams will help you socially. I have simply proposed the idea, and why it might be true. I have not 'stated it as fact', as you so strategically tried to imply.

You, on the other hand, have done just that, in your assertion that it does not.

Originally Posted by Loaf

Ambiguously referring to it as a "simulation" pretty much seals the idea that you are more interested in pointless word play than writing anything of substance.

No, it doesn't, because that's what dreams are. They are simulations. If someone can gain a real-life advantage from a simulation (whether it be a video game, a roleplay situation), it stands to reason that they may be able to do the same, from a dream. That you're trying to detract from this by implying that dreams are not simulations does nothing to counter the logic.

Originally Posted by Loaf

This isn't about my evidence. Its about yours. Its your job to prove your theory, not mine.

Wrong again. You're commiting the classic 'atheist vs. anti-theist' blunder; thinking that your position doesn't require evidence, simply because it is a negative one. The atheist doesn't require evidence, because absense of a belief in something is not synonymous with the belief in the opposite. Someone who says "I have no belief in a God" is not inherently saying "God Does Not Exist." Someone making such a declarative statement about the absense of God is subject to providing evidence for the theory. It is in the same vein that someone who says a flamboyant kid must not have had a father figure in his life cannot then turn around and say "well it's your job to prove to me that he did." It would actually be that person's job to prove that he didn't, or his assertion is insubstantial. In your case, you are making the declarative statement that lucid dreaming 'cannot' help you in waking life social situations. This is an assertion, and it is one that you are just as responsible for evidencing, as someone who argues to the contrary.
You see how that works?

But, with all that out of the way, I'll back up a little bit, and provide a little rationale as to why I think lucid dreaming may benefit dreamers in the waking world.

Spoiler for Stuff:

Lucid dreamers can deliberately employ the natural creative potential of dreams for problem solving and artistic inspiration. Athletes, performers, or anyone who gives presentations can prepare, practice and polish their performances while they sleep. This is only a taste of the variety of ways people have used lucid dreaming to expand their lives.
Questions on Lucid Dreaming within Psychology at RIN.ru

Present neuroimaging data suggests that this “non-real” information, or information not tied to any current environmental stimuli, is treated in a similar fashion as information processed in a real physical environment. Data from a neuroimaging study, specifically using positron emission topography (PET), supports the notion that when we imagine something of a visual nature and manipulate that image, our visual cortex is activated (Kastner et al., 1999). Likewise, in studies that control for actual movement, it has been shown that by simply imagining the actions involved in a repetitive motor task, the physical representation of the associated pattern of activity in the motor cortex increases (Pascual-Leone et al., 1995).
A question, then, is why would mental imagery of a physical activity activate the same brain regions as the activity itself? This double-activation would make sense if mental imagery reflects exercise/practice for the brain (or if imagining a thing and “really” doing a thing are not as distinct as many assume they are). By being able to practice a response, or exercise a part of the brain without having to physically experience a behavior-eliciting stimulus (especially one that is potentially dangerous), we can optimize mental functioning and, ultimately, our response to an actual
Evolutionary Psychology – ISSN 1474-7049 – Volume 3. 2005. - 64 - The Role of Dreams in the Evolution of the Human Mind
situation (Cumming and Hall, 2003). It is well known that mental imagery techniques greatly facilitate multiple aspects of performance from sports to music (e.g., Feltz and Landers, 1983). Further, the most successful individuals at creative endeavors are usually those that have the best imagery skills (Intons-Peterson, 1993). Thus, it appears advantageous to be able to create vivid representations in the mind’s eye of various scenarios, which in fact, is what dreaming entails.
http://www.epjournal.net/filestore/ep035978.pdf

Research on behavior modification treatment for phobias shows that it is not enough for a person to know intellectually that the object of their fear is harmless. Snake phobics may "know" perfectly well that garter snakes are harmless, but they will still be afraid to pick one up. The way to learn to overcome fear is to face it—to approach the fearsome object or situation little by little. Each time you encounter the feared thing without harm you learn by experience that it cannot hurt you. This is the kind of approach we propose for overcoming nightmares. Many anecdotes demonstrate that the approach is effective, and can even be used by children.
None of our proposed treatments for nightmares require that you interpret the symbolism of the unpleasant images. Much fruitful work can be accomplished in dreams by working directly with the images. Waking analysis (or interpretation while in the dream) may help you understand the source of your anxieties, but will not necessarily help you outgrow them. For instance, consider again the fear of snakes. The classical interpretation of snake phobia is that it is a disguised anxiety about sex, especially regarding the male member, and in fact most snake phobics are women. A much more plausible biological explanation is that humans come into the world prepared to easily learn to fear snakes, because avoiding venomous snakes has obvious survival value. However, providing this information doesn't cure the phobia. What does help, as mentioned above, is for the phobic to slowly become accustomed to dealing with snakes. Likewise, dealing directly with dream fears, learning they cannot harm us, can help us to overcome them.
Overcoming Nightmares

Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an unhealthy fear of being caught in places or situations from which escape may be difficult or embarrassing (such as being in a crowd, traveling in an automobile, bus, plane, or being in an elevator). The result is that these individuals are fearful of leaving their homes to work or even to run simple errands. North chose 60 subjects for an agoraphobia study with VR therapy [5]. Thirty were placed in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. The experimental group received eight exposures over eight weeks to a variety of scenes. Each test lasted approximately 20 minutes. The control group received no therapy. The Agoraphobia Questionnaire and the Subjective Unit of Discomfort Scale (SUDS) tests were used to measure therapy effectiveness. The students exposed to VR therapy reported significant improvement while the control group showed no change.
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Fear of Public Speaking
Frequently identified among the top most prevalent phobias, fear of public speaking was the subject of another study at Clark Atlanta University. Comparing control and test groups of undergraduates, subjects were placed in front of a virtual auditorium that gradually filled with virtual people. Simulation of room and crowd noise included laughter, commentary, and applause. The treatment schedule consisted of eight, 10- to 15-minute weekly sessions. Symptoms experienced by the subjects during VR therapy mirrored those which most speakers experience during public presentations. They include increased heart rate, lump in the throat, dry mouth, sweaty palms, loss of balance, and weakness in the knees. Two assessment measurements, the Attitude Toward Public Speaking and SUDS scale, showed significant reduction of anxiety symptoms and the ability to face the phobic situations after virtual therapy treatment. Subjects now report the ability to speak comfortably in front of large groups of people.
Overcoming phobias by virtual exposure

The proof, he says, lies in participants like Miss Muffet, which, of course is not her real name. She had been so frightened of spiders that she couldn't even approach a cage with a spider sealed inside, and past clinical efforts to help her had failed.
But by the time she completed the experiment in Hoffman's lab, she could hold a live tarantula in her hand, and she did that for more than 30 minutes.
Furthermore, her fear has not returned, Hoffman says, supporting a growing conviction in the clinical community that virtual reality can be a very helpful tool in fighting phobias.

Overcoming Phobias Using Virtual Reality - ABC News

There is no way around the notion that dreams are simulations. Are they exact copies of real situations? No, but what simulation is? As I said before, there are mounds of information backing the idea that simulations can help with real-world phobias, and I don't believe there is much reason to assume that lucid dreams would not fall into that catagory. I'm interesting in hearing why you do? (And whether you agree with it or not, this is completely relevant.)

Do I think LDing can change a persons personality? Sure.

Experiences define who we are and who we aren't. LD'ing simply gives us another way to experience life. On the downside the cultural dynamics of LDs are a lot different from waking life so the ability to adapt is important.

I think I've definitely changed since LD'ing. I only hope my brain cells have changed too. What's life without evolution.

The question I was discussing was whether or not social interaction in dreams can allow for social growth or for the dreamer to deal with social situations better in reality. The answer is no.

What an interesting mind you have, Loaf. Your answer is no, which is perfectly fine. However others on DV have shown how it helped them. Dreams allow some people to rehearse a situation in a variety of ways. Some guys have mentioned issues regarding chicks they dig but might not know how to handle it. In dreaming they manage to have some sort of an experience which helps them reflect on their situation.

The simple act of reflection allows them to process what actions, if any, they'd consider employing in waking life. That's just one example but it can be extended across a variety of situations.

It's great you have such firmly held opinions and aren't easily swayed but it's important to know when to bend a little and see things from an external point of view. Not everyone sees the world the way you do and with that means some will find the dreamstate helpful. I mean, I found it helpful for me... that alone disproves the theory that dreams don't offer social growth.

What I assume you meant at this point was that it is unhelpful to you. Unless you meant it is unhelpful to everyone ... ?

On the subject of simulating experiences - I also firmly believe that LDing can help with personal growth.

Using the example of meeting someone new and holding a conversation (hard for many people), What LDing has to offer is just an opportunity to let go. It's not important how realistic the situation is, it doesnt even matter what the other person says back to you. You could greet someone and start talking about your day and they could reply with "fried tomatoes" or some other garbage, yet your experience has still been beneficial because you had the opportunity to practise talking, you showed YOURSELF that you have something to say. A lot of the time, things like this happen because people are afraid to try. In lucid dreaming, that fear is deminished and can provide the confidence that you arent going to screw up in real life.

Also the athletes / musicians / artists visualisation practise has been scientifically proven to work - as Oneironaut already mentioned.

All the evidence is with LDing, not agaisnt.

Whether LDs can alter aspects of your personality depends on whether you believe one's personality is static or dynamic. I tend to subscribe to the dynamic view: how can an insecure person become secure? We soon become what we act like and react like - if this weren't true or at least believed, people wouldn't partake in life coaching nor read self-help books. My ultimate point is that how waking life experiences can, say, help improve your confidence, so can conscious dreams.

Furthermore, there is little fundamental difference between life-coaching and lucid dreams regarding personal growth. Neither of them are 'reality', for they both involve orchestrated artificial environments. The ultimate determinant of their success, then, is whether you put what you've practiced into reality.

Oh, and:

Originally Posted by Oneironaut Zero

There is no way around the notion that dreams are simulations. Are they exact copies of real situations? No, but what simulation is? As I said before, there are mounds of information backing the idea that simulations can help with real-world phobias, and I don't believe there is much reason to assume that lucid dreams would not fall into that catagory. I'm interesting in hearing why you do? (And whether you agree with it or not, this is completely relevant.)

Indeed: systematic desensitization is merely a gradual presentation of a stimulus in different forms until the final, most feared form evokes no fear. It is likely that if you're scared of spiders in waking life, that a gigantic spider in a dream will evoke the same fear. Thus, it is not a huge leap to assume that desensitization to that stimulus in the dream world will have similar effects in the real world.